This application claims the priority of German Patent Document No. 102 19 275.8-21, filed Apr. 30, 2002, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a chassis for a commercial vehicle, in particular for a lorry.
In German Patent Document DE 198 09 196 A1 a chassis for a heavy-duty commercial vehicle is disclosed which has, on each side of the vehicle, a longitudinal member, which members can be connected to each other via a plurality of transverse members. An axle unit or an axle module for the mounting of a rigid axle is attached to the longitudinal members. The axle module has a U-shaped bracket which engages around the longitudinal members from below and from the outside and which is fastened by its U-limbs to the outside of the longitudinal members. The axle module also has, on each side of the vehicle, a longitudinal control arm, the arms in each case being mounted pivotably at one end on a bearing bracket fastened to the associated longitudinal member and being connected fixedly at the other end to a rigid axle body. Furthermore, a suspension/shock-absorber strut is arranged in each case on each side of the vehicle, the struts being supported in each case at one end on the rigid axle body and at the other end on an end, which is of yoke-shaped design, of the associated U-limb.
In German Patent Document DE 35 22 851 C3 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,483, a vehicle having an individual wheel suspension means is described, in which each individual wheel suspension means is provided with a pneumatically operating suspension strut. With a pneumatic suspension strut, the respective wheel is supported on the chassis via an air cushion or gas volume bounded, for example, by a bellows. In this case, the compressible gas enclosed in the gas volume forms the spring of the suspension strut. In the case of the known vehicle, the ground clearance of the vehicle can be enlarged or reduced in a specific manner by feeding air into or discharging air from the gas volume.
Differences in commercial vehicles include a distinction being made between road vehicles and construction-site vehicles which have, in particular, different overhang angles and ground clearances. The production of different types of commercial vehicles is associated with a relatively high outlay.
The present invention is concerned with the problem of specifying, for a chassis of the type mentioned at the beginning, an improved embodiment which, in particular, makes it easier to construct different types of commercial vehicle.
This problem may be solved according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention by the chassis having a front module which has, on each side of the vehicle, a longitudinal member part, the parts being connected to each other via at least one transverse member and being used for the mounting of an internal combustion engine and/or a driver's cab, having a axle module which has a U-shaped bracket which engages around the longitudinal member parts from below and from the outside and which is fastened by its U-limbs to the outside of the longitudinal member parts on each side of the vehicle in each case in a first coupling zone of the longitudinal member parts, the axle module having, on each side of the vehicle, an individual wheel suspension means, in which in each case one wheel carrier is mounted on the axle module via a lower A-frame arm and an upper A-frame arm, each lower A-frame arm being mounted with its first limb on a U-base of the bracket, which U-base connects the U-limbs to each other, and being mounted with its second limb on the longitudinal member part in a second coupling zone of the respective longitudinal member part, each upper A-frame arm being mounted with both of its limbs on one of the U-limbs of the bracket, both the first contact zones and the second contact zones being designed for at least two coupling configurations, in which the bracket can be attached in the first coupling zones and the second limbs of the lower A-frame arms can be attached in the second coupling zones, and which differ from one another with regard to the vertical ground clearance of the longitudinal member parts. Advantageous embodiments are contained in the dependent claims and herein.
Certain preferred embodiments of the invention are based on the general concept of preparing and designing a front module, to which the axle module is to be attached, in such a manner that at least two configurations which differ from one another with regard to the ground clearance of the front module are provided for the attachment of the axle module. In a first configuration, the axle module is attached to the front module in such a manner that a relatively low ground clearance is produced, with the result that the chassis provided with said configuration is suitable for the construction of a road vehicle or road roller. In contrast to this, in a second configuration, the axle module is attached to the front module in such a manner that a relatively high ground clearance is produced, with the result that the chassis is then particularly suitable for the construction of a construction-site vehicle. It is of particular importance here that the same axle module and the same front module can be used for the construction of the two different types of commercial vehicle, namely the road roller and construction-site vehicle, with the effect that all of the attachment parts on the axle module and/or on the front module can also be used in a virtually identical manner in both types of commercial vehicle. The advantages in terms of costs which can thereby be achieved are realized.
Certain preferred embodiments of the invention use an axle module provided with individual wheel suspension means, the individual wheel suspension means each having upper and lower A-frame arms. The lower A-frame arms are supported in each case with a first limb on a U-base of the bracket and with a second limb on the front module. In the region of this supporting or mounting of the second limbs of the lower A-frame arms, the front module, in one particular embodiment, can have a transverse supporting member which is positioned in such a manner that the second limbs of the lower A-frame arms are supported on one another transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle via these transverse supporting members. This measure results in particularly high rigidity, in particular torsional rigidity, for the axle module attached to the front module or for the entire front region of the chassis.
The front module has longitudinal member parts which are connected to each other via at least one transverse member and on which an internal combustion engine of the vehicle and/or a driver's cab can be mounted. The front module is adjoined to the rear by the commercial-vehicle body which conventionally has two body longitudinal members running parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The longitudinal member parts of the front module are expediently prepared for the fastening of the body longitudinal members.
According to one particular development, the coupling zones of the longitudinal member parts, which zones are provided for the connection of the body longitudinal members, are designed and prepared for at least two coupling configurations, in which the body longitudinal members can be fastened in these coupling zones, and which differ from one another with regard to the vertical ground clearance of the body longitudinal members. In this embodiment, the basic concept of the invention is consequently continued, in order, also in the region of the vehicle body, to be able to provide different ground clearances for the different types of commercial vehicle.
Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the associated description of the figures with reference to the drawings.
The features mentioned above and those which are explained below can be used not only in the respectively stated combination, but also in other combinations or on their own without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.